Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN WHO WAITED FIVE YEARS
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Clara broke down.
“She’s alive.”
I had never heard her voice sound like that.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Hope.
The most dangerous emotion of all.
My father turned toward her.
“We can't trust Eleanor.”
“I don't care.”
“She'll kill you.”
“She's already kept my mother prisoner for five years.”
Clara stepped forward.
“I'm going.”
I grabbed her arm.
“You're not going alone.”
She looked at me.
For a second, she looked like the little sister I remembered before everything went wrong.
“You really came back for me.”
“I never stopped looking.”
She cried.
“Gabriel…”
“We get everyone out.”
My father nodded.
Maya stepped forward.
“I'll come too.”
“No.”
“But my mommy needs me.”
Clara knelt.
“You stay with the babies.”
Maya looked at her.
“You promise you'll come back?”
Clara kissed her forehead.
“I promise.”
The plan was simple.
We would surrender one key.
Use the transfer to force Eleanor to reveal the hospital location.
Then escape.
It was a terrible plan.
It was also our only one.
We opened the vault.
Eleanor's men entered.
Victor walked in first.
He looked almost pleased.
“You should have stayed hidden, Gabriel.”
I stared at him.
“You should have chosen your side.”
He smiled.
“I did.”
Eleanor entered.
She was wearing a dark green coat.
She looked exactly like she had at my grandfather's funeral.
Elegant.
Cold.
Untouched.
Her eyes moved to the babies.
“There.”
She pointed.
“Bring me the boy.”
I stepped between her and the child.
“No.”
She smiled.
“You have his blood.”
“Then why do you need him?”
“To prove the trust.”
“You already have me.”
“You are not enough.”
She looked at Clara.
“The locket.”
Clara removed it.
Eleanor's eyes lit up.
“Good.”
She reached for it.
Clara threw it on the floor.
Eleanor's smile disappeared.
“Kill them.”
Gunfire erupted.
My father shoved me behind a pillar.
Victor's men returned fire.
Marcus, my head of security, appeared from the opposite corridor with six loyal guards.
The vault became chaos.
Eleanor grabbed one of the babies.
I lunged.
She almost escaped.
Then Maya screamed.
“LET MY BROTHER GO!”
She threw herself at Eleanor's arm.
Eleanor stumbled.
I grabbed the baby.
Clara pulled Maya behind her.
My father fired.
Victor dropped his weapon.
Everything stopped.
Eleanor stared at him.
“You betrayed me.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“I built you.”
“You destroyed my family.”
My father stepped forward.
“I've spent thirty years afraid of you.”
Eleanor laughed.
“And now?”
He looked at me.
“Now I'm tired.”
He raised his weapon.
But before he could fire, a shot came from behind.
My father collapsed.
“Dad!”
I caught him.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Victor stared at the shooter.
Eleanor.
She had fired.
My grandmother smiled.
“Now we finish this.”
She grabbed Clara.
“Bring me to the hospital.”
“Why?”
She whispered:
“Because the woman in that bed knows the final truth.”
My father was bleeding in my arms.
I looked at the timer.
00:12:41
Twelve minutes.
My mother was alive.
My father was dying.
My sister was being taken.
And two newborns were crying.
I looked at Maya.
She stared back.
Fearless.
Then she whispered:
“Mr. Gabriel…”
“What?”
“Don't let the bad lady win.”
I nodded.
“I won't.”
For the first time in my life, I understood exactly what my family had forgotten.
An empire could be inherited.
Fear could be taught.
But courage had to be chosen.
May you like
I stood.
And I went after them.
